Over three hundred kilometers outside the Martial City, atop an isolated peninsula nestled within a rocky mountain range, three figures cloaked in long black robes gathered high in the sky.
Sitting cross-legged in a triangle, they remained deep in meditation as the rising sun burned behind them.
For an unknown length of time, silence surrounded the trio.
Then, a continuous gust whistled through the air.
The faint sound of flapping wings drew closer until a carrier hawk swooped down and landed upon one man's narrow shoulder.
Reacting to its arrival, the man slowly opened his wrinkled eyelids and reached toward the message tied to its talons.
Unfolding the sealed note, he read quietly.
"The bird will leave the nest in less than a month."
Beneath the coded message was a sketched map marked with several routes highlighted in red.
After committing the information to memory, the man rose to his feet. Chanting under his breath, he raised one finger.
An ant-sized black hole appeared above it, swallowing both the letter and the hawk.
"It's time."
Canceling his spell, the man spoke in a raspy voice.
His two fellow mages opened their eyes and stood as well.
"Ugh, finally. Now we can clean up the mess our brother so kindly left us and finish this job at long last."
One of the newly risen mages yawned while lifting both arms. Even beneath his baggy robe, his bulky frame was obvious.
The shortest of the three immediately took offense.
"Shut it, Red, before I make a bloody mess out of you!"
"Hmph, I'd like to see you try, short stuff!"
The mage known as Red Tear cackled as the shorter mage nearly exploded.
"Red. Purple. That's enough."
The slender mage who had received the note spoke in a low yet authoritative tone.
"Yes, Senior Brother Black!"
"Yes, Senior Brother Black!"
Both men answered in unison, dropping their dispute as if it had never happened under Black Tear's stern gaze.
After a brief pause, Black Tear addressed the issue.
"It is true that unforeseen circumstances have delayed the plan somewhat."
"It's not my fault the martial bandits assigned to me couldn't handle a random brat. If I had been allowed to act freely, then this situation—"
Purple Tear stopped mid-sentence.
Black Tear's subtle glare made it clear he had no interest in hearing excuses.
"No matter. If one of us fails, all of us fail. This predicament is no different."
With that, Black Tear turned and descended from the peak.
Red Tear childishly stuck his tongue out at Purple before following behind him.
Purple Tear clenched his jaw and reached for the gem necklace that was no longer around his neck.
'You little masked bastard. No matter how well you hide, I will have my revenge.'
Gritting his teeth, he eventually followed after them.
....
That same day, deep within the Martial Alliance's main building, a council meeting convened inside a wide, sparsely furnished assembly hall.
Fourteen elders gathered around an elongated table, each representing one of the Five Great Families or Nine Great Sects.
Lord Rayden sat at the head of the table.
Vice Leader Machi Tang stood to his left, while his advisor, Monk Oshin, stood to his right.
After more than an hour of discussion, they arrived at the final topic on today's agenda.
"We will now revisit the matter of the Red Tower's demands during our negotiations."
Rayden's voice carried calmly across the room.
"As for the Red Tower's request regarding the escort of the Zeal Family's daughter, preparations are proceeding as planned."
An elder from the Wudang Sect delivered his report.
Rayden nodded in approval.
"Excellent. What about preparations concerning the other half of our agreement?"
An elder representing the Huashan Sect spoke next.
"Our personnel assigned to the task of removal are already in position and awaiting your command."
"I see."
Rayden's silver eyes swept across the table.
"In that case, relay my order to proceed as planned."
He paused.
"Unless anyone here has an objection."
Silence settled over the room.
For several moments, no one dared speak.
Eventually, one elder cleared his throat and rose from his seat.
"With all due respect, I find it utterly preposterous that we would demean ourselves by doing the dirty work of those untrustworthy mages. Where is the honor and prestige in that?"
The elder had a bald cranium with wisps of gray hair sprouting from his temples down to his earlobes.
His palms slammed against the table as he spoke.
"Calm yourself, Burlap."
Machi casually scratched his short green hair.
"I would advise you to refrain from hiding behind the pretense of protecting the Alliance's honor when we all know your words are merely a poorly disguised excuse for your prejudice against mages."
Burlap of the Muyong Family clenched his fists, then slowly forced himself to relax.
"That may be so, but—"
"I understand, Burlap."
Rayden cut in before the elder could continue.
"You may be seated."
Grumbling under his breath, Burlap reluctantly sat.
Rayden continued.
"You raise a valid concern. However, if we hope to minimize or prevent the prophesied calamity that has yet to befall us, then our perceived honor is a small price to pay for uniting the Eastern Continent under one accord."
The room grew heavy.
Everyone present understood the implication.
Difficult compromises would be necessary if they wanted to survive the darkness foretold in the near future.
"Any further objections?"
No one said another word.
Rayden dismissed the council soon afterward, leaving only himself, Machi, and Oshin inside the assembly hall.
"How are things on your end, Oshin?"
Rayden asked with his back turned, gazing through the singular oval window that overlooked the entire Martial City.
"The Sleepless One is growing impatient."
Oshin's voice remained calm.
"There is not much time left for us to stall."
"What estimate do we have?"
"Five to eight weeks."
"Is that so..."
Rayden's silver eyes flickered as he imagined the consequences of failing to appease the Sleepless One.
The solution to their problem was anything but clean.
For a brief moment, hesitation crossed his face.
"Lord Rayden, whatever you decide, I will stand behind you completely."
Machi reassured him.
Oshin gave a silent nod of agreement.
Noticing their support, Rayden turned toward them with a genuine smile before regaining his ironclad composure.
"Very well."
His voice hardened.
"We proceed as planned one week after the package leaves our city walls."
....
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Martial City, atop a wide grassy hill, a golden-eyed boy sat cross-legged inside a small circular formation crafted by Amber.
Two lovely women accompanied him.
"Recite the seventh stanza from the Book of Phoenix!"
Amber barked her instructions.
The glowing crimson formation released scorching heat that threatened to burn Zeke from within if his focus wavered even slightly.
Circulating mana around the core of his magic circle, Zeke felt like livestock roasting over an open flame.
Sweat poured from his body in waves.
Every breath felt heavier than the last.
On the verge of suffocation, he barely managed to chant the words demanded of him.
.....
This method had become routine for Amber and Zeke over the past several months.
It began after Julep pestered her grandfather about the boy who had stolen the show during the candidate exam.
Seeing no harm in her curiosity, Rayden quietly encouraged it.
If nurtured properly, Zeke might one day become a valuable pillar of the Alliance.
Julep agreed with that sentiment and dragged her best friend Amber along the next day to meet him.
By tricking her hot-headed friend into coming, she created an unwelcome surprise that nearly sent Amber spiraling over the edge.
One closer look at Zeke erased any lingering doubt.
He was the Masked Panther who had rescued her.
Though internally flustered, Amber preserved her poker face the only way she knew how—by acting cold and aloof.
During their formal introduction, she pretended they had never met before.
She played the role almost perfectly.
Unfortunately for her, Zeke knew exactly what she was doing.
His crude disguise had been intentionally easy to recognize.
He had created the dynamic on purpose, knowing it might become useful later.
Soon enough, the seeds he planted began to bear fruit.
Amber became interested in Zeke not only because he was already a Stage 3 Disciple, but because he was also a First Circle Mage.
In the Eastern Continent, dual-wielding martial cultivation and magic was extremely rare.
After weeks of constant pleading, Zeke finally wore her down.
With Julep's help—and a shameless display of golden puppy-dog eyes—Amber eventually gave in and agreed to give him pointers.
.....
Returning to the present, the three occupied their usual training spot on the grassy hill, far from ordinary prying eyes.
"Recite the twelfth stanza from the Book of Ember using the cadence from the Book of Lava."
Amber continued instructing without mercy.
Zeke followed her command.
He was on the brink of forming his second circular ring.
Mana seeped from his body and swirled into a concentrated ball of flame within his inner diaphragm.
"Don't you dare make all my precious time spent on you be for nothing!"
Amber's voice sharpened.
"Remember the vision exercises we practiced. You're almost there!"
It was encouragement in the only way Amber seemed capable of offering it.
Taking her advice, Zeke steadied his breathing as the raging flames of mana threatened to backfire at any second.
Within his mind, he envisioned the blazing fireball slowly morphing into a chain link coiling around his magical core.
Desperation gripped him.
This was the point of no return.
Precision mattered.
One mistake could cause everything to collapse.
Agony coursed through him as the molten chains linked together and began resonating with his revolving ring.
Without warning, Zeke's eyes snapped open.
They glowed with pure red light.
A beastly roar tore from his throat as a pillar of fire erupted from his body and shot toward the heavens.
The eruption instantly caught Julep's attention.
She had been peacefully napping beneath a tree below the hill, as she often did during their training sessions.
With one powerful leap, she landed beside Amber as the inferno engulfed Zeke.
"What's going on?"
Julep asked, panic creeping into her voice.
She was unfamiliar with the inner workings of magic and its advancement process.
Amber smirked.
"We're witnessing the birth of a monster."
The flames gradually dispersed.
Smoke filled the air.
Only Zeke's shadow remained visible amid the scorched earth beneath his feet.
"Congratulations on becoming a Second Circle—"
Amber began offering her first genuine compliment to Zeke.
Then the wind carried the smoke away.
Her words died instantly.
"Put on some clothes, you pervert!"
Amber shouted, covering her eyes as she spun around.
"My apologies, Lady Amber..."
Zeke gave an embarrassed grin while covering himself and frantically reaching for his spatial pouch.
Fortunately, it was the only item that hadn't burned to a crisp alongside his clothes.
He quickly retrieved a spare outfit as Julep burst into laughter.
Pretending to be perturbed by the incident, Zeke silently checked his status.
[Status Window]
Mana (6,330/6,330) — Qi (15,250/15,250) — Sword Force (N/A) — Power Level (78,536) — Health (38,000/38,000)
Title: (Blood Physique) (Venomous Physique) (2nd Circle Mage) (Stage 3 Disciple)
Reviewing his improvements, Zeke felt satisfied.
He was rapidly closing the gap between himself and Lord Taki.
It would not be much longer before he possessed the strength necessary to exact his revenge.
Once he was fully clothed, the situation returned to normal.
Julep praised his advancement while Amber reverted to her usual standoffish demeanor.
However, the scarlet-and-peach-haired young woman seemed more distant than usual.
Thinking back, Zeke had an idea of what might be troubling her thanks to the details Julep had divulged earlier in the Martial City.
By afternoon, Julep suddenly realized the time.
"Darn it, I have to go!"
She sprang to her feet.
"I promised Grandpa I would help him tend the garden!"
Waving goodbye, Julep leapt into the air and landed on a nearby branch before disappearing into the distance.
Her departure left Zeke and Amber alone.
An awkward silence settled between them.
Neither was used to being together without Julep present.
Sighing inwardly, Zeke decided to break the tension first.
"Lady Amber, I noticed something seems to be weighing on your mind."
"..."
Amber remained quiet.
Her face scrunched slightly, unconsciously confirming that he had struck the nail on the head.
"If there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."
Zeke lowered his head slightly.
"I'm forever indebted to you for taking me under your wing."
Still, Amber said nothing.
For a moment, Zeke thought he had failed to get through to her.
Resigned, he prepared to bid farewell.
Then the proud woman finally spoke.
"I have a favor to ask of you..."